Steam rushed from the shaft into the frigid desert air, a sign of the humid, sauna-like conditions the men have endured.

Avalos appeared in good health and hugged his sobbing seven-year-old son Bairon, and his wife, then bear hugged Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and rescuers. He wore sunglasses to protect his eyes from electric lights He had been the second-in-command of the trapped miners and was so shy that he volunteered to handle the video camera rescuers sent down, so he would not have to appear on film. The miner gave a thumbs-up as he was taken away for medical checks.

Avalos was followed to the top about an hour later by Mario Sepulveda, 40, who has become well known as the presenter of videos the miners sent to the surface. He gained a reputation as a joker and had helped keep the men in good spirits.

Sepulveda brought with him from the depths a bag containing half a dozen rocks from the collapsed mine and handed them out as souvenirs, including to Mr Pinera and Chile's mining minister Laurence Golborne.

He then smiled broadly and ran to rescue workers, leading them in a chant of "Chile" and punching the air with joy Sepulveda also hugged his wife Elvira, an accountant from Santiago, who had brought her tax books with her to fill out as she kept vigil at the mine.

The operation appeared to be running like clockwork and a third miner Juan Illanes, 51, a former army corporal, was raised to the surface.

Asked how the journey was he said: "Like a cruise." Helicopters waited on a nearby landing deck to fly the men to a local hospital for treatment.

Earlier, at 11.19pm (2.19am GMT) Manuel Gonzalez, a rescue expert with Chile's state copper company Codelco, had been lowered into the mine in the capsule to help organise the extraction.

His colleagues sang the Chilean national anthem and Gonzalez made the sign of the cross before setting off. One colleague told him: "Imagine you're at the beach."

His descent took only 15 minutes, quicker than expected. Video from underground showed the pod arriving at the bottom next to a Chilean flag that had been erected by the miners.

Gonzalez then stepped out of the capsule and became the first other person the miners have met since Aug 5.

He was embraced and shook hands with the men, and one of them punched the air with joy. They gathered around as Gonzalez gave final instructions on the rescue procedure and Avalos then stepped into the container.

Each ride was expected to take about 20 minutes, and authorities expect they will be able to haul up roughly one miner per hour.

Paramedics had wanted several of the fittest miners to go first in case there were problems. Avalos, Sepulveda and Illanes were among those who volunteered.

The weakest and the ill will then follow. That includes about 10 men suffering from hypertension, diabetes, dental and respiratory infections and skin lesions from the mine's oppressive humidity.

The last up were to be physically and mentally strong characters. The very last will be shift foreman Luis Urzua, whose leadership has been credited with helping the men to endure their ordeal.

Panic attacks are the rescuers' biggest concern. The miners' pulse, skin temperature and respiration rate will be constantly measured through a monitor around their abdomens.

To prevent blood clotting from the quick ascent, they took aspirin and will wear compression socks.

The miners will also wear jumpers because they will experience a shift in climate from about 90F (32C) underground to temperatures hovering near freezing.

President Pinera had earlier flown into Copiapo 450 miles north of Santiago in readiness to welcome each of Chile's new national heroes.

He prayed with the miners' families at Camp Hope, the makeshift settlement on the surface of the mine.

Mr Pinera said: "We made a promise to never surrender, and we kept it.

We are coming to the end of this long story. Faith has moved mountains." He asked for bells in all the churches of Chile to ring out.

Nelly Bugueno, mother of trapped miner Victor Zamora, said: "It's like he is being reborn. There were 34 miners down there - the 33 were there with the spirit of God." Hector Ticona, whose son Ariel Ticona was trapped, said: "I am so happy I am about to see my son. The drill has worked a miracle." The miners themselves had spent their last few hours preparing for the momentous journey saying prayers and singing hymns.

On Tuesday they penned the last of their dispatches from the deep and sent them up in the plastic tubing known as "doves" that have been a lifeline for them throughout their ordeal.

Jimmy Sanchez, 19, the youngest trapped miner, wrote: "I know that when it's my turn, nerves are going to hit with a vengeance. I have suffered enough down here and don't want to suffer anymore. I hope that when it's my turn, everything will be okay." In the main square in the nearby city of Copiapo, where many of the men live, the emergence of Avalos was marked with rapturous cheers.

Drivers sounded a cacophony of car horns as hawkers sold flags with the national colours and the words "Heroes of Chile" and "Los 33."

Similar celebrations erupted in Santiago and cities across the Andean country.

Janette Marin, sister-in-law of miner Dario Segovia, said the order of rescue did not matter.

She said: "What matters is that he is getting out, that they are all getting out. This won't be a success unless they all get out." US President Barack Obama issued a statement praising the efforts of rescuers. He said: "While that rescue is far from over and difficult work remains, we pray that by God's grace, the miners will be able to emerge safely and return to their families soon."